MIND your Brain

The Mediterranean diet gets a lot of attention as one of the healthiest eating patterns. You may remember a recent post I wrote about the Mediterranean Diet as one of the “Best Diet’s of 2021” 

The Mediterranean Diet held the top ranking spot because of its  “harmonic combination” of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.”

Well, here’s one more reason to adopt this style of eating-the benefits it has on our brain health. We may not think about the impact our diet has on cognitive health, but that’s changing.

It’s called the MIND diet and has been hailed to potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

And guess what MIND stands for?  You know it: Mediterranean-DASH intervention for Neurogenerative Delay.

There it is again, the Mediterranean diet.  The MIND diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diet.

A quick refresher.  The Mediterranean eating pattern is rich in fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans and fish.  It also includes a high intake of unsaturated fats (like olive oil) and a low intake of dairy and meat.

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to stop Hypertension) focuses on lowering blood pressure and improving heart health.  Similar to the Mediterranean diet, it includes lots of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low in dairy.  The DASH diet is also low in sodium. 

Both diets boast known perks to your general health and weight management.  And both diets are considered easier to maintain long term than more extreme fad or deprivation diets. 

Both these diets are also high in phytochemicals, specifically polyphenols which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s thought that the beneficial effects on brain health may be linked to these compounds.  

While studies are still ongoing, many scientists are optimistic that following the dietary patterns of both diets can have a notable impact on cognitive function.  

Have you ever tried the DASH or Mediterranean diet?